


Christmas Eve

by old_fashioned_gal



Category: Watchmen (2009), Watchmen - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Concussions, Fluff, Gen, Gift Giving, Really just shameless fluff, h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 18:46:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5508782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/old_fashioned_gal/pseuds/old_fashioned_gal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One or the other of them was bound to get a concussion at some point but it sucked that it had to happen on Christmas Eve. <br/>Or: Rorschach gets to spend Christmas at Dan's house, courtesy of a head injury.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Eve

**Author's Note:**

> You all now this anyway, but just as a disclaimer: Dan is flying in the face of medical advice here. If someone passes out from a head injury, they need to go to hospital. A friend of mine once refused to comply with this and had to be looked after at home, which was by turns inconvenient and terrifying for everyone involved, hence the disclaimer.

“Rorschach?...Oh jeez…Rorschach, wake up!” Dan glanced up at Archie’s controls. The autopilot was steadily steering them towards the hospital but the entire craft was far too slow. It could go at almost twice the speed if Dan took the controls but he didn’t want to leave Rorschach alone on the floor. “Buddy, come on, you need to wake up now. You hear me? Rorschach?...Rorschach, wake up!”

It had been, of all things, a fire extinguisher. Busy with the other half of the gang they’d ambushed in a nightclub, Dan had almost missed the red blur of it being swung by a particularly large opponent, straight into the side of Rorschach’s skull.

He’d been unconscious ever since. Dan had rolled the mask up to the bridge of his nose to pinch his cheeks and earlobes. “Rorschach? Come on, you’ve got to be able to feel that…Time to wake up now, buddy”

No reaction. Shit.

“Come on, Rorschach, this is getting old. You need to wake up. You hear me? Wake up!”

It was tempting to pull the damn mask off all together. Rorschach could have opened his eyes already and Dan wouldn’t know. “I mean it, man, wake up. Can you hear me?...Rorschach?”

Finally – _finally_ – Rorschach moved. He turned his head to one side and drew his knees up with a grunt. Dan practically spluttered with relief. “Oh thank goodness! Rorschach, can you hear me?”

“Should be able to” the man beneath him muttered. “You’re shouting”

“Sorry, man. You had me scared for a moment there.”

Rorschach turned his head to the other side, then lifted it a bit, prompting Dan to say, “Try not to move, buddy. You’ve got a head injury.”

Rorschach made an annoyed sound and raised a hand to his masked head. He sank back down until his shoulders were flat against Archie’s hull. “Did we get them?”

Dan laughed. “Yeah. Yeah we did. They’re in custody now.”

“All of them?”

“Yes, all of them. Look, I’m going to take the wheel, okay? You stay here. Don’t even think about trying to get up.”

As soon as Dan sat down in the pilot’s seat, Rorschach got up.

He wavered for a second before crashing to the ground.

“Shit!” Dan scrambled for the controls, turned autopilot back on, and hurried to Rorschach’s side. “Are you okay? What did I tell you?”

“Don’t get up” Rorschach muttered dully, like a child repeating a rule they couldn’t see the point of. Then he put his hands to his head and groaned.

Dan relented. The poor guy had to be miserable already; he didn’t need a telling off. One or the other of them was bound to get a concussion at some point but it sucked that it had to happen on Christmas Eve. He added his own hand to the frame of fingers at Rorschach’s temples. Alarmingly, Rorschach leaned into the touch instead pulling away. Dan asked, “Headache?”

There was a nod and then a wince at the movement. Dan sighed. That had been an obvious one but he should really run through all the symptoms he could remember just to be doing something useful if they were going to have to move towards the hospital so damn slowly. “Do you feel dizzy?”

“…’m fine” Rorschach seemed to make an effort to recover himself. He sat up slowly, his head coming to rest in his cupped hands, his elbows on his knees. Next he seemed to notice his gloves. He pulled them off and shoved them clumsily into his trench coat pocket, exposing fingers that were pink with cold. “Where’s my hat?”

“It’s next to you buddy.”

Absurdly, Rorschach found it necessary to feel around beside him for the hat and stick it back on his head. Dan was sincerely glad he’d even thought to look for where it had fallen before he hauled Rorschach out of there. Now Rorschach dislodged the hat almost immediately by rubbing at his forehead. He asked, “Did we get them?”

“Yeah, we did, like I said already.” Dan glanced up at the controls. How could they possibly be taking so long? He really needed to make some adjustments to Archie’s autopilot because this was just stupid. “Do you know where you are?”

“New York”

“Um. More specifically?”

“Owl ship?” Rorschach lifted his head to see if he was right, and then lowered it to his hands again with a hiss.

“Yeah. How about who am? Do you know who I am?”

“Nite Owl. Daniel.”

“Yep, that’s me. Listen, can I trust you to stay sitting down while I drive? We need to get a move on.”

“Fine”

Dan took the controls again but didn’t sit down, in case he had to dive for his stumbling partner again. Over his shoulder he said, “I’ve got civvies onboard so once we get to the hospital, you can take the mask off and change. I won’t look, obviously.”

“Fi…nuh…Daniel? Hospital?”

“Yes, buddy, you’ve had your head bashed in with a fire extinguisher. We’re going to hospital.”

“No. No hospitals.”

“No arguments more like. You’ve got a concussion, you need medical care.”

“No” Rorschach teetered to his feet. Dan cursed and reset autopilot yet again, stepped over in time to catch Rorschach as he toppled. “Damn it, Rorschach, you need to stay still!”

“Don’t!” Rorschach pushed against Dan’s chest, trying to get away. “Unhand me, Daniel!” He struggled harder. “Just take me to your basement!”

“My basement is not a hospital!” Dan managed to tip his writhing partner into the passenger seat. “Sit still, can’t you? Here” He wrapped his cape around the guy, partly hoping to calm him and partly for the same reason people wrap cats that don’t want to visit the vet in towels. Then he plugged in the seat belt while Rorschach untangled himself from the cape and lashed out with blows that were forceful but badly aimed.

As Dan took over the driving and sped up, Rorschach tugged at the seat belt clumsily. “Let me out!”

Dan shook his head. “Just calm down, man. Like I said, you can change and –”

“I don’t need hospitalising, Daniel! Just let me out here!”

“– and you can book yourself in under whatever your real name is or –”

“As soon as you let me out I’m going back to my own place” Rorschach warned. “I don’t need hospitalising. I’m not going to risk –”

“Risk what? What exactly do you think a hospital’s going to do? Wait, don’t answer that. If I can’t trust you to walk through the doors by yourself, I’ll have to go in with you. You can take your mask off and let me see who you are at last or, hell, you could even keep it on and go in as Rorschach. I’m sure you can trust _doctors_ with your identity and –”

Rorschach made a noise that indicated he found neither option acceptable. “You’re being ridiculous, Daniel.”

“Sure I am. Whatever. But you’re going to hospital and that’s the end of the matter. So: mask on or mask off?”

“I don’t need to go to hospital! I’m fine now!”

“Rorschach, you were out cold for almost half an hour!”

“Wasn’t”

“I was there. I timed you.”

“I can’t go to hospital! I’m not going to be manhandled!”

“No-one there will hurt you!”

“Daniel if you do this, our partnership is over!”

There was a stunned silence. Rorschach tugged at his seat belt again, panting. Dan stared at him. “Did you really just say that?”

“Say what?” Rorschach spat. “Daniel, let me out of this!”

“Rorschach, that’s a seat belt. If you can’t work it by yourself, it just proves you need to be seen by a doctor.”

“Don’t. I won’t allow it! It will compromise our identities, Daniel!”

“No it won’t. Plenty of people go into hospital with concussion.”

“But not many of them in an owl ship.”

“I’ll find somewhere discreet to land.” Dan turned his attention to driving. Rorschach fumbled with the seat belt again before giving up and raising his hands to his head with a moan.

“You’re going to be okay” Dan told him. “We’re nearly there.”

“Hrn. Then our partnership is nearly over.”

Dan couldn’t help being scared by that. He’d hoped that threat had been an empty one, forgotten in his partner’s dazed state. “Sorry, Rorschach, but you do need to co-operate here. I can come in with you if you like but either way you’re getting treatment”

“For what?” Rorschach folded his arms and tilted his head back.

“For that bump on your head.” And maybe for the touch phobia via inadvertent exposure therapy, Dan thought grimly. He wasn’t doing this lightly. He knew hospital had to be a horrible place for someone as usually untouchable and in control as Rorschach.

Rorschach made a dismissive noise. “I can just sleep that off.”

“You can’t sleep off a concussion, Rorschach.”

“Can.”

Dan glanced at him, at the impenetrable canvas of the mask. “You’re not closing your eyes under there are you?”

“…no”

“Are you lying to me?”

There was a snarl in response and Rorschach sat up a little straighter. Dan sighed and drove on in silence, guiding Archie across the skyline of the festively lit city. “I’m sorry buddy. I know it sucks, this happening on Christmas Eve. Do you have plans?” He perfectly well that Rorschach had no plans. He just wanted to keep his partner talking.

This was their second Christmas Eve patrol. Last year Dan had been shocked that Rorschach actually wanted to patrol not only on Christmas Eve but Christmas Day as well. For someone who was usually so careful not to reveal anything about his day to day life it had seemed careless of Rorschach to expose his lack of family commitments so openly. Dan hadn’t pointed that out though: that would just be cruel.

The year before last they hadn’t even met yet.

From the passenger seat Rorschach muttered, “You know I don’t.”

“Sorry. Just trying to keep you awake.”

“’m perfectly awake.”

“Good. We’re nearly there.”

“I’m not going in. You can’t make me.”

“You’re just being childish now.”

“Hrn. I thought you valued our partnership more than this.”

There was that fear again. Dan knew the right thing to do was get Rorschach to hospital and to hell with their partnership if that was the price because any price was worth Rorschach’s safety. Besides, Rorschach might sulk for a while but Dan couldn’t see him permanently ending their partnership over this.

Then again, he never made empty threats. Damn. “Rorschach are you being serious?”

“About what?”

This was silly. Rorschach probably barely knew what he was saying. There was no way he’d even remember this conversation later. Was there? Regardless, Dan certainly wasn’t going to remind him of the threat, so he didn’t answer. He turned his attention to wondering where he could park Archie near the hospital. Beside him, Rorschach growled and tilted his head back to rest it against his seat. He tugged Dan’s cape back around his body. “You can’t do this Daniel. I’m not going to let myself be handled by strangers. I’m not going in.”

“Yes you are. Just give this up already.”

“Like I said Daniel, the end of our partnership. You’ve been warned.”

“Oh come on, this is completely unfair! You can’t ask me to choose between your health and our partnership! That’s emotional blackmail!”

“Isn’t”

“Yes it is! And it isn’t going to work!”

“Is”

Dan shook his head, but it was more out of frustration than denial. The fact was, Rorschach didn’t lie. If he said this could be the end of their partnership then he meant it and he’d follow that through if he remembered saying it and Dan was suddenly horrified by the idea of not having Rorschach in his life. Their partnership was still just about new enough to be exciting but also finally old enough that they each knew how the other’s mind worked and how they worked best and how they liked their coffee. They had each become perfectly attuned to the other’s fighting technique, doubling their effectiveness against gangs. They’d learned how to make each other laugh. They’d become comfortable with each other’s silences. Was it worth risking all that over a concussion? The people at the hospital would probably just want to keep an eye on Rorschach. Dan could do that at home. But only if…

“Okay” said Dan, “let’s compromise.” He didn’t slow down, but carried on skimming rooftops. “I’ll turn us around and take you back to my place if and only if you agree to three conditions.”

“’m listening”

“One: You stay at my house at least until the end of the week.”

“That seems excessive”

“Well it isn’t. You might get some sort of complication days after an injury like this.”

“No I won’t”

“Look, do you agree or not? Because we’re practically at the hospital now!” _Great_ , Dan thought, _way to go Dan_. _Use the hospital as a threat, that should help him get over whatever is his issue is with it_. He added, “We’re not going back to mine unless you agree to stay there.”

“I’ll get in your way.”

“No you won’t. I don’t celebrate Christmas, remember? It’s not like I’ve got plans this week.”

“Hurm. Fine”

“Good. Okay, second condition: You don’t hold it against me if I call you an ambulance if you collapse or suddenly get worse or something.”

“No ambulances.”

“Your other choice is hospital now, buddy.”

Rorschach wrapped the cape tighter around himself, apparently thinking over his options. After too long a pause he replied, “Alright. But I won’t collapse anyway.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Now, three: You have to take the mask off.”

“No”

“Hospital it is then.” Dan kept Archie on course, the streetlights blurring below them.

From the passenger seat Rorschach suddenly spoke up in a tight voice: “Daniel. I’m going to be sick on your cape.”

Frankly, Dan couldn’t care less about his cape at that moment. He didn’t want to slow Archie down into autopilot to go find a more suitable receptacle. “You might want to take the mask off then.”

Rorschach made a surprised sound that suggested he’d completely forgotten about their conversation of a few moments ago. He reached for the mask and, finding it was already rolled up to his nose, left it on. He sat very still and breathed deeply.

Finally they reached the hospital. Dan stopped a little short of the building, keeping their aircraft a little beyond the immediate notice of anyone on the ground. Turning to Rorschach he asked, “So what’s it going to be? Should I take us down?”

“Down where?”

Dan sighed. This was ridiculous. “We’re at the hospital now, Rorschach. Shall I help you change out your costume?”

Rorschach seemed to take a moment to process this. Dan knew when he’d got there because he drew his lips back in disgust and made a noise he usually reserved for the very worst criminals.

“Rorschach, it’s really not that bad. The people down there want to help you.”

“The people down there want to steal samples of my DNA”

“Okay, now you’re being absurd! Anyway, I can stay with you. I promise I won’t let anyone run off with your DNA, okay?”

“Just get us out of here, Nite Owl”

“No. You’re hurt. You need to be seen by a doctor.”

“Don’t” Rorschach raised his hands to his face, to the edges of his bunched up mask. “I’ll take it off. Just…”

A few seconds passed. After a while Dan asked, “Just what?”

“I just…need a moment”

Dan gave him a moment. The mask stayed in place. Dan pulled his goggles and cowl off in case that would help. Rorschach didn’t copy him. Dan sighed. “Would it help if I turned my back?”

“Hm. Probably.”

Obligingly, Dan swivelled in his seat and studied Archie’s controls. He heard a plasticy rustle and then a soft thud. “Can I look now?”

Rorschach exhaled with a little bite to the breath, an almost-snarl.

“Rorschach?”

“Fine, Daniel. Look”

Unable to hold back a grin, Dan turned to see his partner’s face at last.

Under the mask, Rorschach was all angles and freckles. Everything from the cheekbones down was familiar, but minus the mask it was topped with what Dan could only think of an uncharted territory. Dan had known his partner had to be red-headed or blonde but the vivid shade of his hair was still a surprise. He had suspected too that Rorschach’s ears stood out a bit from the way they strained against the side of the mask. Very little of this new version of his partner surprised him, except… “You’re young” Dan blurted out accusingly.

“So are you.”

“Not like you I’m not. Jeez, are you even legal?”

“Legal for what?”

“You know what.”

Rorschach pulled a face, tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “You said we could go to your house” he pointed out.

“Yeah, I did. Sit up, man. Open your eyes.”

“You’re going to keep me awake” Rorschach replied, in a _damn, I knew there’d be a catch_ tone of voice.

“Afraid so. Here” Before he set Archie back into motion, Dan reached around for an evidence bag and handed it over. “Just in case”

“In case what?” Rorschach blinked a few times, apparently trying to stay alert.

“In case you need to puke.”

“I’m fine now.”

“Good, but I’ve heard you say you’re fine when you are in fact about to collapse, so just hold on to that for the sake of my cape, okay? I’m turning us around now: we’ll be back in the owl’s nest before you know it.”

Dan drove as smoothly as he could, dividing his attention between piloting and monitoring his partner. Twice he had to remind Rorschach to keep his eyes open and, he realised, he was going to have to carry on nagging him to stay awake once they got home. How soon was too soon to let the guy sleep? Did he even need to stay awake anyway? Dan was sure he’d heard somewhere that people with head injuries had to be kept awake, but he wasn’t sure where now. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

Maybe it definitely wasn’t a good idea, but Rorschach would probably murder him if they went back to the hospital now, never mind end their partnership. So, awkward Christmas with a violent, concussed vigilante and no adherence to medical advice it was.

A _young_ violent, concussed vigilante, in fact. Dan tried to tell himself it was a trick of the light thrown up by the city beneath them, or maybe another effect of the childhood malnutrition that Dan suspected had caused his partner’s limited stature, but really there was no avoiding it: Rorschach looked like he should be in high school.

And he was falling asleep again. Great. “Rorschach, open your eyes.”

Rorschach woke with a grunt. “They are open.”

“Right.” Dan kept up his pattern of driving and glancing. It wasn’t long before Rorschach tipped forward in his seat and gripped his head again. Dan murmured, “We’re nearly there, buddy. Look, here comes the river.”

Rorschach nodded into his palms, and then grimaced as Archie tipped into a descent. They broke the surface with the usual streams of fast flowing bubbles and made their way along the river bed to the tunnel entrance. Dan looked over at Rorschach anxiously. “Practically there now” he told him. “How are you doing?”

“Fine”

“Uh huh. Could I get another adjective?”

“Tired”

Well at least that was honest. Dan nodded sympathetically and watched the tunnel walls speed past, steered Archie into his roost in the nest. Once the engine cut out Dan unbuckled Rorschach from the passenger seat and announced, “Well, here we are. Come on, let’s get you upstairs.”

Escorting Rorschach up to the kitchen proved to be not unlike being the designated driver for a Christmas bar crawl, since Rorschach moved like a drunk. Dan had to practically hug him so as not to let him fall backwards as they made their way slowly up to the kitchen.

Once there, Dan guided Rorschach into one of the kitchen chairs and reached for a first aid kit. When he turned back to he found him resting his head in his palms again, his elbows on the table. “Head up, buddy. I need to take a look at your eyes.”

“It’s none of your business what my eyes look like” came the response. “I’m not going to satisfy idle curiosity.”

“I’m not going to just gaze soulfully into them” Dan drew up a chair next to his partner. “I need to check your pupils are the same size.” _Which I really should have done back on Archie,_ he added internally. _Because if they’re not, we’re going straight back to the hospital._

Thankfully, Rorschach’s pupils were identical and shrank normally when Dan shone a flashlight in his eyes, which – just to reassure himself – he did a few times before Rorschach drew away with a hiss. Dan relented, “Sorry” and pulled off his gauntlets. He reached for Rorschach’s head, gripping his skull gently as Rorschach tensed and muttered and shifted in his chair.

“I just need to check you over” Dan explained.

“We’ve established it’s a concussion” Rorschach pointed out. “I don’t see what playing with my hair is going to achieve”

Dan didn’t reply but concentrated on running his fingers over Rorschach’s skull, using the same delicate motion he’d employ to set a broken wing. For all his complaining, Rorschach didn’t pull away, though that probably had more to do with his head feeling too tender for sudden movement than actual trust. Going so quickly from seeing the lurid tufts of hair to actually touching them felt like – and was – a liberty, so Dan worked as fast as being careful not to cause pain would allow. The side of Rorschach’s head was already going pink and Dan knew there would be an impressive bruise in a few hours. Finally he picked out droplets of red liquid clinging to the red strands of hair. It took blood to make Rorschach’s hair colour look natural. Dan would have said his hair was the colour of blood until he saw it, just that subtle shade redder. “You’re bleeding.” When Rorschach made no response other than a noise that implied he didn’t particularly care, Dan stood up and wrapped an icepack in a clean dish towel. “Here, take this.”

Rorschach took the bundle wordlessly and pressed it to the side of his head, leaning against the table again. Dan touched his shoulder gently. “Come on; let’s take this into the living room. Wait, leave your coat here.”

Once the trench coat was shrugged off and on to the back of the chair, navigating the short trip from kitchen table to couch was another long trek. Rorschach rested his head against Dan’s shoulder and seemed very disgruntled when it moved as Dan walked. In the living room he sank into the couch and let his head tip back. Dan reminded him, “You need to stay awake, Rorschach.”

“You can’t keep me awake all week” Rorschach pointed out.

“Well I can all night” Dan tried to sound firm but he was in fact deeply sympathetic, not least because he was exhausted too. He wondered if coffee would be a good idea, but didn’t want to leave Rorschach alone to go make it. “How about we play cards or something to pass the time?”

“No”

“Scrabble?”

“No”

“So what do you want to do?”

“Sleep”

“Come on, man. Other than that.”

“Hm” Rorschach seemed to actually consider this. His eyes were still open but oddly shiny. Glazed. “Nothing that involves looking.”

Fair enough, thought Dan. Trying to focus in on a card or scramble tile probably wouldn’t help Rorschach’s headache. “What about if I turn the TV on? You could just listen.”

“Nothing on.”

“There might be a Christmas movie.”

“Not at…what time is it?”

“Um” Dan checked the clock on his mantle piece. “Two in the morning. Maybe not then.”

“Hm” Rorschach closed his eyes.

“Stay awake, buddy.” Dan stood up. “I’m going to make coffee and you’re going to keep your eyes open for me, alright?”

Getting no response from Rorschach other than his eyes snapping open, Dan retreated to the kitchen where he made coffee quickly, calling random comments through to his partner in hope of keeping him awake. “Hey, maybe we’ll see Santa?” He came up with as he returned to the living room with steaming mugs in hand.

“You don’t believe in Santa” Rorschach sat up and accepted a mug one handed, the other hand still clamping the icepack to his head.

“What, and you do?” Dan took a seat next to him. “Well, you’re young enough at least.”

“I’m not that young.”

“Someone had that talk with you already, huh? When was that, last year?”

“I never believed in Santa.”

Dan could believe that. He could just picture a little redhead kid saying something like, _Breaking into everyone’s houses in the middle of the night? Seems very suspicious. I don’t believe he can’t have an ulterior motive._ Suddenly he felt sad. “You must have done once.”

Rorschach began to shake his head and seemed to think better of it. He took a few sips of coffee before sitting back, resting the icepack against the back of the couch and placing his head on it. His hands were wrapped around the mug in his lap. Noticing the way his partner’s eyelids were drooping again, Dan confiscated the mug and set it down on the coffee table.

“Seriously Rorschach, you need to stay awake.”

“’m awake, Daniel. You’re worrying too much.”

“Well, someone’s got to worry about you.” Dan studied Rorschach as the guy made an effort to sit up straighter. Now that the coffee had made him more alert, Dan couldn’t deny that Rorschach really was as young as he’d looked under Archie’s surreal lighting. He was tempted to ask if Rorschach’s parents knew where he was. Which reminded him that really did need to ask, “Is there anyone I need to call for you?”

“No”

“No-one?”

“You know I have no family, Daniel” Rorschach sounded bored if anything, as if he didn’t feel bitter about not having a family anymore than he felt bitter about not having a private jet.

“What about a friend? Or a roommate, maybe?”

“I have a secret identity. I couldn’t have a roommate.”

_Plus you’d be hell to live with_ , thought Dan, but with a smile. “Well there’s got to be someone who’ll wonder where you are.”

“No.”

Dan frowned. “But…What about a landlord? Or your boss? Look, seriously, how old are you?” How did someone barely past their teens not have someone who’d miss them if they were delayed on Christmas Eve of all nights?

Rorschach took a deep, shaky breath. “My landlady’s used to me coming and going at all hours, my boss is on vacation and it’s not your concern how old I am.”

“Believe me; I am pretty concerned about it. Especially if I have to call social services about you.”

“You don’t have to call anyone. I know what I’m doing.”

“Right up to being knocked out with a fire extinguisher. Sure.”

“You’ve been knocked before.”

“True, but I’m not revising for my exit exam so I can afford to lose a few brain cells.”

“You’re being ridiculous, Daniel.” Rorschach’s voice was subdued, faint even. It scared Dan a little, but he countered with, “Am I? Come on, stop stalling. How old are you?”

“It’s rude to ask that, Daniel.”

“Rude if you ask an old person, yeah. But okay to ask someone with pimples.”

“I don’t have pimples.”

“Um, you got…” Dan gestured hesitantly at the bridge of Rorschach’s nose. Rorschach ran a hand over the fresh pimple and made a defeated sound, actually blushing, the pink tinge spreading from his cheekbones to his ears. Dan couldn’t help smiling.

“You’re laughing, Daniel.”

“Sorry. It’s just, you kids crack me up.”

“I’m not a kid.”

“You aren’t?”

“No. I’m nineteen years old. A man, Daniel.”

Dan felt his smile slide off his face. “You’re…But…Rorschach, we’ve been working together for nearly _two years_!”

Rorschach shrugged against the couch. Dan stared at him. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Tell you what?”

“That you were a kid, for God’s sake!” Dan found his hands were raised in a comic surprise pose. If Rorschach wasn’t concussed he’d probably put them on the guy’s shoulders and shake him.

“I’m not a kid.”

“But you were! When we first partnered up you must have been…Jeez, what were you thinking?”

“The same as you. That I could bring justice to this city.”

“And cram in some homework at the same?!”

“I’d left school, Daniel. I have a job. I live alone. I did then, too.”

“Jeez!” Dan repeated helplessly. A new and horrible thought occurred. “Damn it, and that second case we worked together! That prostitution ring! You shouldn’t have been seeing that stuff!”

Rorschach made an odd sound at that. Dan, who felt he could understand his partner’s noises pretty well by now tentatively interpreted it as sad amusement. Dan ran over other cases in his mind: murder, drug deals, assault: the sort of thing he’d never knowingly let a seventeen year old watch movie about. “You should have told me.”

“It wasn’t your concern.”

“Yes it absolutely was my concern! Rorschach, you were a child!”

“You’re making it sound like I was an infant, Daniel! I turned eighteen soon after we joined forces.”

“Before the prostitution case?”

“Soon after it.”

“Oh my God.” Dan stared at Rorschach aghast. “What about before we investigated those murders in that brothel?”

“Soon after that.”

“Or that drugs ring working out of that strip club?”

“Very soon after that.”

Dan drew in a slow, deliberate breath, trying to keep calm. “So what you’re actually saying is you turned eighteen _six months_ after our partnership started?”

There was a reluctant affirmative sound from Rorschach who was still resting his head against the icepack and had folded his arms defiantly across his chest. Dan was caught between wanting to hug him protectively and punch him. He managed, “So I’ve only been breaking the law just over a quarter of the time I’ve known you!”

“There’s no law against under-eighteens being vigilantes, Daniel.”

“Well there damn well should be! Rorschach, this city should have been protecting you, not the other way around!”

“I was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong.”

“Yes but not enforce it!”

“The Comedian was younger than me when he started.”

“Yeah and look how well that worked out!” Dan snapped, but he felt some of the anger leave his voice. For all his strange admiration of the man (and wasn’t that starting to look like a teenage crush?) Rorschach was nothing like the Comedian.

Very quietly, Rorschach asked, “Have I ever let you down?”

“Never” Dan replied instantly. It was true. Rorschach was a brilliant partner. He’d saved Dan’s life countless times and Dan had saved his. And he was an adult now at least. Probably he’d been an adult in his soul long before they’d even met. Dan couldn’t imagine being so mature and level headed at that age. “I wish you’d told me.”

“I just did.”

“You know what I mean” Dan frowned as Rorschach raised his hand to his head again. “I’m sorry if I raised my voice just now” he added. “I was just shocked.”

“I know.” Rorschach lowered his hand again, leaving his hair mussed.

“You don’t look good.”

“Hm. Should have warned you before I took the mask off not to expect much.”

“Wha -? Oh. For God’s sake, Rorschach, that’s not what I mean! You saved my life last week – I don’t give a damn what you look like! Not that you don’t look fine by the way.” Really Dan wanted to come up with a better word than fine but it was out his mouth before he could think of anything praising. Still it seemed to reassure his partner: Rorschach’s face flitted from incredulous to thrilled-but-trying-to-hide-it to…grey. Dan gripped his partner’s shoulder. “Hey, are you okay? Rorschach?”

Rorschach sat up, letting the icepack fall behind him. “’m okay. Just…Daniel, I don’t feel very well.”

It was the scariest thing Dan had ever heard Rorschach say because Rorschach simply didn’t admit to things like that. Dan’s first thought was that he was dying. He frantically started to debate with himself whether Archie or an ambulance would be quicker to the hospital, and which hospital would be best and to tell himself that he didn’t have time to be picky about hospitals and should just get Rorschach to any hospital right now, or was it dangerous to move him? He was so taken up with those thoughts that he almost didn’t register it when Rorschach clamped a hand over his mouth, a delay that didn’t end well for the couch.

Immeasurably relieved, Dan grabbed a trashcan, shoved it onto his partner’s lap and rubbed his back until he finished vomiting.

“Sorry, Daniel”

“It’s okay”

“I ruined your couch”

“You really didn’t. It’ll wash” And really, Dan could see most of the mess was on Rorschach’s costume. “Come on, let’s get you changed.”

Rorschach allowed himself to be helped to his feet and guided back through the house and to the basement. There, he sat next to the washing machine with his head in his hands. Kneeling beside him, Dan squeezed his shoulder in comfort. “I’m sorry, buddy. This is miserable isn’t it? Some way to spend Christmas.”

“It’s not Christmas yet” Rorschach ground out, even though it was, technically, and even though he was unlikely to be feeling much better by morning anyway. Dan handed him a facecloth and replied, “I guess not. Why don’t you get your costume off?”

“Because I don’t want you to see me in my underwear.”

Dan laughed. “That was meant to be rhetorical. Seriously, come on: you’re covered in sick, you need to change.”

“Into what?”

“I’ll get you something” Dan started to say, and then stopped. He didn’t really want to go upstairs to search for a fresh outfit and leave Rorschach to fall asleep down here. Then he remembered the clothes he had waiting for himself when he got in for patrol, which of course had been forgotten tonight. He was still in costume except for his cape, cowl and goggles onboard Archie, and his gauntlets on the kitchen table. Actually with Rorschach’s mask also on Archie, and the trench coat slung across a kitchen chair, anyone following their paper trail of clothing though the house might get a mistaken idea about what they were up to. Dan laughed again, prompting Rorschach, still huddled on the floor, to ask, “Is something funny?”

“Nothing really. I just realised I’m still dressed as an owl!”

“You’re always dressed as an owl” replied Rorschach dismissively.

“Not always: sometimes I’m dressed as an ornithologist. Here” Dan handed over his civilian clothing. “This’ll be a little big but it will do for now.”

Rorschach examined the bundle of clothes and decided, “This doesn’t disprove that you always dress as an owl, Daniel”

“It’s not an owl _costume_ , it just has an owl _on_ it. Go ahead, put it on.” Dan turned his back to give Rorschach some privacy, but didn’t go so far as step away from his partner in case he fell. Fortunately, Rorschach had the good sense to wriggle out of his clothes on the floor and tug Dan’s pants on without standing up. Dan could hear him muttering as he pulled on the t-shirt and sweater. Finally Rorschach announced, “Done.”

Dan turned to find his partner leant against the washing machine swaddled in oversized clothes. The pants were both too long and too wide and the sweater had slipped off Rorschach’s slender shoulder on one side. Dan tried not to smile. Rorschach looked supremely annoyed. “This is a stupid sweater, Daniel.” He gave the offending article a little shake, making the snowy owl on the front shiver.

“It’s just my Christmas sweater” Dan replied in a mock-defensive tone, scooping Rorschach’s discarded clothes and the soiled facecloth into the washing machine.

“You don’t celebrate Christmas”

“Not officially, but it’s still a holiday” Dan turned the machine on and Rorschach flinched when it jostled him as it rumbled to life. Dan helped him edge away from it and gently rolled up his partner’s sleeves and pant legs, downright alarmed when Rorschach made no protest. Next he helped Rorschach to his feet and back up the stairs, a journey that still seemed to be twice as long as it usually was.

Knowing that Rorschach already felt bad about the couch, Dan wished he could clean up in the living room while Rorschach was somewhere else, but it was more important to keep an eye on the guy. He left Rorschach in the armchair with a fresh icepack while he dealt with the trashcan and soiled furniture. He could sense guilt radiating off Rorschach and as soon as he finished, Rorschach repeated, “Sorry Daniel”

“It’s no problem.” Dan sat down again and smiled at his partner.

“I’ll clean up next time you vomit.”

“I might hold you to that. How do you feel now? Still sick?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“Can I go to sleep now?”

“Not yet. Wait until dawn.”

Rorschach groaned. Dan nodded sympathetically. “Sorry. I just want to make sure you don’t slip into a coma or something.”

“When is dawn?” Rorschach’s tone implied that any amount of time would be too long.

“Only a few hours now. I’ll make more coffee”

They spent the crawling hours until dawn drinking coffee and trying to play twenty questions, although it quickly became obvious that Rorschach’s concentration span had taken the brunt of the attack and if he didn’t get it in five questions, he didn’t get it at all. His own contributions were unimaginative at best.

“I still don’t get it” said Dan after their final round.

“It’s a bird, Daniel”

“Yeah, I’d figured that much. What sort of bird?”

“A pigeon. I think.”

“Maybe we should play a different game.”

“We shouldn’t be playing games at all. We’re not children.”

“Some of aren’t.”

“Enk. I’m nineteen now. I told you.”

“Nineteen and already grown out of games?”

“Just because you never did.”

“I’m just trying to keep you awake, Rorschach.”

Rorschach made a displeased sound. “It’s dawn now anyway. I’m going to sleep. G’night, Daniel.”

“Open your eyes, buddy…Hey, we need daylight for dawn, remember?”

Rorschach opened his eyes with a half-hearted snarl. “Why are you even doing this, Daniel?”

“Doing what, keeping you out of a coma?”

“Yes. I’m useless now. I can’t even remember if I thinking of a pigeon.”

Dan laughed. “That’s just temporary, buddy. You’ll just need to take it easy for a few days.” _And let me keep an extremely close eye on you_ , he added internally.

“What if something happens in the next few days?”

“Then I’ll take you to hospital. Don’t worry.”

“I don’t mean what might happen to me!”

“What, are you asking what if a crime spree starts or something? New York will just have to rely on the others for a while. Anyway, it’s Christmas! No-one’s going to start a crime spree at Christmas!”

“Hrn. You always overestimate how easily deterred scum are, Daniel. The Underboss and the Twilight Lady aren’t pulling crackers and eating mince pies.”

Actually, Dan knew for a fact that the Twilight Lady was doing just that with her sister in Ohio but he didn’t share that particular piece of intelligence. He told Rorschach, “You’ve still got an hour or so before I let you sleep, so how about we find something else to do?”

That something else turned out to be looking through Dan’s scrapbook of newspaper cuttings detailing his first career exploits and later the successes of their partnership. Dan knew that Rorschach kept a journal, but that it was mostly notes and observations that might be useful in the future. Celebrating achievement for its own sake seemed a novel concept to him, and he happily sat through the last hour of darkness turning the pages of the scrapbook to look at the photos of them standing next to busted criminals and piles of confiscated drugs. Dan sat next to him, closer than Rorschach would usually allow, and talked him through the details of each picture, knowing that reading them himself wouldn’t help Rorschach’s headache. They began to reminisce, tentatively at first and then enthusiastically. The only thing that marred the conversation for Dan was, “I can’t believe you were a teenager when all this happened.”

“I was fine, Daniel. I got it done, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but that’s not the point! I should have realised.”

“It’s not important.”

“Yes it is. You’re important.” Was it Dan’s imagination, or did Rorschach blush at that?

Finally, sunlight filtered through the living room window. Dan fetched blankets and made up a bed on the couch, then closed the curtains. “Okay: sleep” he told Rorschach. “I’m going to wake you up every hour though”

Rorschach wobbled as he climbed into the makeshift bed. “Fine. I’m going to punch you every hour.”

Dan laughed but also made a mental note to be ready to duck out the way. He’d only had to wake Rorschach up once, when he’d overslept while staying overnight on the couch and needed to be up at some impossible hour for work. Much as Rorschach had the soldier-like ability to be wide awake the instant he opened his eyes, he wasn’t particularly nice to know until later on in the day. Dan wasn’t sure if that was down to Rorschach not being so much of a morning person as he seemed or that Rorschach was just in a noticeably better mood when they met up to start patrol than he was at other times of day. Either way, he had an excuse to be out of sorts right now. This was Christmas morning and the poor guy was stretching out on the couch ready to pass out. For all he was trying to be brave about it, it had to be horrible.

Rorschach was asleep in minutes. Dan woke him in ten.

“That wasn’t an hour, Daniel.”

“Sorry. I was just checking. Look, I’ll be in the kitchen. Call me if you need me, okay?” Dan left the door open when he left the living room.

Having been sipping coffee all night, he was wide awake, even a little on-edge. Add in the daylight streaming though the big kitchen window and he didn’t feel the lack of sleep. He made himself hot chocolate for the sake of something to do, listening out for Rorschach as he did.

It just didn’t feel right that Rorschach was about to spend an unscheduled day on his couch – Christmas day of all times – and there was no-one to alert. No-one to wonder where he was. Dan hated that his friend had been granted so small a share in the world’s joy. No family, no friends that Dan could discern, and yet he spent his nights saving peoples’ lives in a fearless and professional way that Dan certainly wouldn’t have been capable of at his age. Dan didn’t want to be patronising, and certainly wouldn’t get away with saying things like _at his age_ to Rorschach’s face, but it was hard not to feel protective of the guy when he was asleep on the couch in oversized clothes.

No family had to mean no presents, Dan reflected glumly as he sat down with his drink. That wasn’t what any holiday was about, of course, but it at least showed people they were thought of. Who thought of Rorschach? When was the last time he was given a gift?

And then an idea that had been forming gradually in Dan’s brain for months took shape all at once.

Not wanting to be out of shouting distance from his sleeping partner, Dan fetched what he needed from the basement and set up a makeshift workshop at the kitchen table. Still listening out in case Rorschach woke and needed him, Dan quickly set to work on turning his idea into a high-tech reality.

He broke off every hour to wake Rorschach, who tolerated the alarm calls with a grumpy co-operation, answering Dan’s brain-injury-screening questions correctly each time before going back to sleep. After four hours, Dan started waking him every two, and after four more hours, left him to rest undisturbed.

It was well into the afternoon before Rorschach showed any sign of waking, which suited Dan fine as it allowed him to put the finishing touches on his creation. When it was at last complete he risked leaving Rorschach alone for a few moments to test it out in the tunnel, an admittedly very fun task that had him grinning with pride. It worked perfectly.

Returning, breathless, to the kitchen, Dan found Rorschach standing somewhat unsteadily at the kitchen table. Dan quickly hid his invention behind his back. “Hey, man. It’s good to see you awake.”

“Daniel. What…” Rorschach trailed off, puzzled at Dan’s obvious attempt to hide something.

“I was just passing the time” Dan indicated the mechanics equipment still scattered across the table.

“Oh” Rorschach was still staring suspiciously at the point where Dan’s hand disappeared behind his back. Dan asked him, “How are you feeling? How’s the headache?”

“Fine now.”

“It’s a Christmas miracle” said Dan dryly. “Seriously, how does it compare to last night? Because it can’t possibly be gone completely.”

“I feel better than last night” Rorschach told him, the simple fact that he was answering honestly testament to him still not feeling particularly great.

“Good.” Unable to move without showing Rorschach what he’d been doing, Dan nodded in the direction of the kitchen door. “Why don’t you go back through to the living room and sit down? I’ll bring you something to drink.”

Obviously Rorschach knew that something was being hidden from him, but he couldn’t ignore such a blatant hint given by Dan in Dan’s own house. With much frowning and castings back of glances he made his way slowly to the living room. This allowed Dan to carry his creation upstairs, hiding first behind his back and then at his front as he went up.

Of course he had no Christmas gift wrap but he was hoping for something passable, maybe some red or green tissue paper. Unfortunately the only roll he had turned out to be silver with _Happy Birthday_ written on it in blue. It would have to do.

A few minutes later, Dan came into the living room with a tray of drinks and snacks, and a large, unseasonably wrapped parcel.

Rorschach frowned at the parcel but made no comment. He drank the water Dan pressed on him obediently and then accepted a hot chocolate, but refused anything to eat. Dan sat down next to him, shifting blankets out the way. “You’ll have to eat something later.”

“I will”

“Uh huh. How about a movie?” Dan picked up the TV guide and added casually, “Aren’t you going to open your present?”

Rorschach’s eyes widened a little. “Mine?”

“Yes, yours! Go on, open it. Happy Christmas.”

Rorschach took the parcel very tentatively, as if he half-expected it to dissolve if he moved it too fast. He carefully undid the gift wrap and stared down at what was revealed.

“It’s a grappling gun” Dan told him. “Go ahead, pick it up. Just – err – don’t fire it in here; it’s high velocity.”

As Rorschach lifted the grappling gun, Dan pointed out various features and explained how it worked, but, since Rorschach had just been sitting there mutely, he finished with, “Don’t you like it?”

The answer was unguarded and immediate: “I love it”

Dan beamed. Rorschach blushed and hastily added, “That is…it’s a…it’s a very useful gift and I…I’ll appreciate it on patrol and –”

“I’m glad you like it, buddy.”

“I didn’t get you anything.”

“Well, you’re not dead” Dan pointed out. “I’m pretty happy about that.”

The corner of Rorschach’s mouth lifted slightly. “Thank you, Daniel.”

“Any time. So, what about that movie? _It’s a Wonderful Life_ is on.”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“Well you should” Dan turned on the TV but kept his attention on his partner. He expected Rorschach to set the grappling gun aside as he settled in to watch the movie, but it stayed cradled on his lap. Dan made a mental note to move it if Rorschach started to drift off, since it wasn’t exactly a safe thing to have just lying around. As the movie started Dan said, “I’ll make us some dinner once this is over. I’m sorry you’ve missed half the day.”

“Doesn’t matter” Rorschach replied, resting his head against the back of the couch.

“Yes it does. You should be having a Happy Christmas, not stuck here.”

“This is a Happy Christmas” Rorschach replied.


End file.
